Night of the Broken Glass, Revisited
by Shinji Shazaki
Summary: A rewrite of my previous work.  A bit more in-depth, and a bit darker from the original.  There's a new Dark Lord on the loose, a new Potter who managed to live, and new allies.  Read, review, and I hope you enjoy.
1. Less Than Normal

Night of the Broken Glass, Revisited

C1: Less Than Normal

[Disclaimer: J.K. Rowing owns the original work.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

A sullen howl rose up in accord with the waning crescent moon.  Silently, the streetlamps flickered into united darkness.  The only sound in the night was the whispering of the wind in the leaves.  A minute or so after the streetlamps had gone dark, a dark gray creature padded onto the street.  It sat down and looked to the moon, revealing itself as a large wolf.  Its golden eyes reflected the bare moonlight as it scanned the horizon.

Several minutes later, a sharper wind picked up and rustled the trees harder.  The wolf folded its ears back, eyes narrowing as a barely audible sound came from the trees at the end of the street.  It stood, muscles tensing and hackles lifting with a low growl.  A cloaked figure strode out from the trees, their movements fluid and silent.  The wolf went quiet and bounded to the cloaked figure.

A pale, bleeding hand emerged from the cloak and the wolf whimpered sympathetically.  It gently licked at the person's hand until the blood had been cleaned away.  The gash on the person's palm stopped bleeding, the skin healing together swiftly.

"It's all right," the person, a man, said in a quiet, deep voice.  "That was the only cut I received.  You should be more concerned about what's just happened."  The wolf backed away a few feet and closed its eyes.  It began to change and shift, abruptly becoming a young, gray-haired woman.  The man sighed and pushed the cloak's hood from his head.  After casting a furtive glance around the street, he pushed the cloak away from his body and revealed a small bundle.

The woman took the bundle from him and gently moved the cloth until she uncovered a small, sleeping baby girl.  The child whimpered and squirmed in pain, a red stain appearing from the folds at her movements.  The woman frowned, carefully extracting the child's left hand from the cloth.  A red 'x' shone in the dim light on the back of the girl's small hand.

"Anton's parting gift to her," the man spoke in his soft voice.  "By the time I'd gotten there, the only ones left were the fairly disorientated Death Eaters.  From what I can guess, Anton ran off after she managed to do what her father did to Voldemort."

"So he's a spirit now?" the woman asked.

"Hardly," he answered.  "If he were just a spirit, I wouldn't have had to fight those Death Eaters.  They would have run without their new leader.  They seemed pretty hell-bent on killing her even though he ran off."

"So Harry and Hermione are dead?" she inquired.  "No wonder Dumbledore told me to wait for you here.  He said he wants Harry's last Muggle relative to take care of her for a while.  When she's old enough, we'll come and get her."  The man smiled slightly, his fangs easily visible even in the muted light.

"I still can't see why on earth they made us her godparents," he chuckled.  "I think the Weasly family was a little disappointed."  They both suddenly jerked, drawing wands and looking in opposite directions.  After a tense moment, they slowly put away their wands.

"We had better get moving, Dante," the woman murmured.  "The Death Eaters are probably looking for you."  He nodded in return before kissing her.

"Be careful, Seal," he said earnestly.  She smirked and gave him another kiss.

"I'll be fine," she replied.  "Get back to Hogwarts.  Everyone is probably terrified that we've all been killed."  Dante rolled his eyes with a smile before his body faded into black bats.  The bats flew off in a cloud, vanishing over the horizon.  Seal quickly strode up the drive of number 4, Privet Drive.  She drew her wand again and tapped the doorknob.

"_Alohomora!_" she murmured.  The lock clicked and she opened the door.  The house was silent and still.  Seal gently put the child on the chair near the door, conjuring a letter from thin air.  It read "Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Dursley, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."  Seal smiled and laid a kiss on the girl's forehead, carefully placing the letter on the chair as well.

"See you in a few years, Kendra," she chuckled.  She slipped out of the house and took the shape of a wolf once more.  Seal vanished into the night.

----------

Dudley Dursley was the first to wake that morning.  He went down the stairs to acquire the morning paper, perhaps start brewing coffee for himself and his wife, when he saw the child on the chair.  He snatched the letter and sank down on the steps, eyes wide.  Dudley turned it over, staring for a few minutes at the Hogwarts official seal before opening it.

He read the letter three times before putting it down on the stair he sat on.  Dudley stared at the baby girl on the chair, letting the gears in his head turn for a very long time.  Thirty minutes later, his wife, Gaye, let out a sharp gasp when she came down the steps.  She rushed over to the child, utterly terrified at the crimson 'x' on the girl's hand.

"Dudley, what's going on?" she questioned.  "What's that letter?"  She paused at seeing the envelope, recognizing the Hogwarts seal.

"My brother got those letters," she said softly.  "He was a wizard, but you already knew that.  What does it say now?"  Dudley sighed, pushing back his short blond hair with a massive hand.

"Her name's Kendra," he replied.  "My cousin Harry's kid.  Harry's dead now, and they want us to take care of her."

"For how long?" Gaye asked, picking up the child and rocking her gently.  "Harry Potter's daughter?  She must be a witch."  Dudley put one of his gigantic hands over his mouth, staring off into space as he thought ever harder.

"We had better keep her until they come to get her," he rumbled.  "They'll probably come when she turns eleven.  That's when that giant came for Harry."  He thought for a bit more.  "All right.  She stays.  She can be our kid for a while."  Gaye smiled and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"I know you didn't care much for Harry," she said.  "And I know you don't care much for magic and the like.  I'm glad you're a bit more understanding now."

"I just don't want to get another pig tail," Dudley said gruffly.  He did, however, tap Kendra on the nose with a small smile.

—Several years later—

"I'm home!" Kendra Potter called as she opened the door.  She shuffled her feet on the mat in front of the door before stepping inside, removing the pieces of dirt lodged in her shoes.

"Hello, Kendra," Gaye said with a smile when Kendra walked into the kitchen.  "I must have lost track of the time.  Did you have a good time?"  Kendra nodded with her own smile, a skateboard clutched tightly in her arms, her helmet dangling from her fingers.  She was a bit dirty, but smiling brightly.

"Yep," she answered.  "How was your day?"  Gaye shook her head with a chuckle at the ten-year-old girl's usual question, turning in her chair and patting Kendra on the head.

"Fine as always, Kendra," she said.  "Thank you for asking."

"Welcome!" Kendra laughed in return.  Her laughter suddenly died as she looked away, brows furrowed.  "I saw something kind of weird, though.  It was a woman with gray hair.  She was there one second, smiling at me, and then someone walked in front of her.  A wolf was where she had been.  Then another person walked in front of her and she was gone."  Gaye paused, taken aback at Kendra's words.

"Did anyone else see her?" she asked.  Kendra smiled innocently and shook her head.

"She was gone before I could ask anyone to look," she replied.  Kendra excused herself to go clean the dirt off her hands and face, leaving Gaye in a quiet reverie.  When Dudley arrived at the house a few hours later, returning from his job as a fitness trainer at a local gym, Gaye drew him aside to talk.

"I think it's finally time," she murmured.  "They'll be coming to give her that letter soon."

"Then she's off to be a witch?" Dudley questioned no one in particular.  "I didn't think it had been ten years already."  He noticed Gaye's distressed expression, surprised at her teary eyes.

"I know she isn't our daughter," she said in a sad whisper.  "I know that, but she's always been such a sweet girl.  I kind of wish that she was a normal girl."  Dudley sighed sadly, wrapping his arms around Gaye and rubbing her back gently.

"It's all right," he reassured her.  "It's all right."  In their hearts, they knew nothing was all right.

----------

On the morning of August twelfth, Kendra awoke with an unusual calm.  She was often a bit overly energetic on summer mornings and would work it all out by skateboarding to her heart's desire.  That morning, however, she found herself walking calmly down the stairs to the kitchen instead of leap-frogging four or five steps at a time.

Kendra walked into the kitchen and paused, staring at the two extra people that sat at the table.  One was a white-haired man and the other was a gray-haired woman—the woman she had seen a few days earlier.  Gaye and Dudley sat rather ashen-faced, but smiled at Kendra.

"Happy Birthday, Kendra," Gaye said, standing up and hugging Kendra tightly.  "These people are going to be two of your professors next year.  They're also your…your godparents."

"Hello," Kendra replied automatically.  "What's a godparent?"  The gray-haired woman laughed aloud at the innocent question.

"A godparent is a person that is chosen by your real parents to take care of you if something happens to them," the white-haired man explained.  "Your parents chose Seal and I to be your godparents."  Kendra easily made the connections in her mind and gave the two a hard look.

"I know," the woman chuckled.  "We just pop up out of nowhere and say we're your guardians.  We're a couple of nutters, right?  It's all right.  You can say it."  Kendra giggled at the frank words.

"To put it quite simply, Kendra, other than the Dursleys here, none of us are normal," the man said in his soft, low voice.  "I'm a vampire, Seal is half-werewolf, and you, dear girl, are a witch."  The inevitable pause came.  The adults waited anxiously for Kendra's expected reaction.  They waited for her to run to her room, denying it fervently, for her to shriek in terror at the idea of a vampire and a werewolf.  Kendra, however, merely stood there for a moment.

"Is that why I blew up my toast once?" she questioned.  The gray-haired woman snorted and began to howl with laughter.  Gaye chuckled, shaking her head at the memory.

"Yes, Kendra, I think that's why you blew up your toast," the white-haired man said with a smile.  "Listen, we need you to go to London with Seal.  You need to get your supplies before the year starts."  Kendra nodded and scurried off to get ready.

----------

"How are you half-werewolf?" Kendra asked.  Seal paused as they stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron pub.  She had just drawn her wand from inside her Muggle jacket and held it a few inches from the brick wall.

"My mother was bitten just before she gave birth to me," she explained with a genial smile.  "She went to a Muggle—normal people who can't use magic—hospital because she was seriously hurt.  She had me and died three days afterwards.  The only thing I know about her is her scent.  I still remember it."  Seal smiled rather nostalgically, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes as if to recall that scent.

Kendra waited for about two full minutes before she realized that Seal was not trying to remember something; she had fallen asleep on her feet.  It was another minute before Kendra managed to stop laughing into her hands and shake Seal's arm.

"She smelled like roses," Seal said, continuing her thought as if she hadn't fallen asleep.  Kendra giggled at her, somewhat amazed at what just happened.  Her laughter cut off when Seal tapped a certain brick with her wand.  The bricks began to move, twisting and turning until an arch was formed.  Seal ushered her through before the bricks reverted to their usual positions.

"Diagon Alley," Seal murmured.  "Everything you need is here.  Come on.  Oh, read this while we walk to Gringotts."  She pulled a letter from her pocket, handing it to Kendra.  The young girl took the parchment from the envelope and began to read the flowing script.  By the time she had read through the letter and the list of supplies, Seal had guided her through the doors of a large white building.

"The wizard bank," Seal laughed, smiling at Kendra's obvious confusion.  "We need to get you some money.  Your parents probably left you more than enough."  She continued on towards a counter, Kendra frozen at her words.

"You—you knew my parents?" she questioned, jogging to catch up.  "What were they like?  What did they do?  What—what were their names?"

"Brave, kind, intelligent, and just a bit ridiculously reckless," Seal replied.  "Your mother and father were both Aurors, and your father played Quidditch for England when he could.  Hermione Granger, later Hermione Potter, and Harry Potter.  Kendra Potter's vault, please."  Kendra looked up at the counter and blinked at the peculiar creature looming over them.

"Her key?" the goblin hissed through sharp, clicking teeth.  He stared down his long nose at Kendra.  She unconsciously hid her left hand behind her back, uncomfortable about the highly visible 'x' on her hand.

"Here," Seal said sharply, dangling a small gold key in front of the goblin's nose.  He shot a cold look at her before examining the key and calling over another goblin.

----------

"Goblins not your favorite magic creature, huh?" Seal asked gently when they walked back out into the sunlight.  Kendra shook her head; still pale even after seeing the massive amount of gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts her parents had left her.

"It's all right," the gray-haired woman murmured comfortingly.  "Goblins have always been a bit…hmm, what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Scary?" Kendra supplied.  Seal chuckled and pat Kendra on the head.

"Something like that," she said.  "They've always been hyper-protective of gold, and with the Death Eaters and Anton on the loose, they've become more wary than ever.  Don't worry about it."  Seeing that Kendra was not reassured, Seal smiled and lifted the young girl onto her shoulders.

"I was so envious of the Dursleys," she explained as Kendra settled her hands into her coarse gray hair.  "They got to give you rides like this all the time when you were just a little kid.  At least I can do it once before you're too big to be embarrassed."  She paused for a moment before heading towards a shop.  "You're awfully light, Kendra.  Did they treat you all right?"

"Of course!" Kendra said quickly.  "I just skateboard a lot and I forgot to go home to eat sometimes."  Seal smiled at her.

"You wont forget at Hogwarts," she spoke with a smile.  "Well, unless someone gives you loads of homework, it's hard to miss a meal there.  Best food I've ever had."  She paused, stopping as if seeing something.  It took Kendra a full minute to realize Seal was asleep on her feet again.

----------

"That's an interesting scar."  Kendra glanced up from staring at the corner of the windowpane.  A girl stood next to her on her left, standing very still on the other box.  The two seamstress witches that Madam Malkin employed scurried around them, measuring them and pinning cloth where and when necessary.  Kendra's hand twitched, but she urged herself to keep her arm from moving.  She looked at the girl and paused for a few long moments.  The girl's cheek was scarred severely and her messy hair was a light blue.

"I think yours beats mine," Kendra said with a faint smile.  "My name's Kendra Potter.  Who're you?"  The girl paused; seeming a bit surprised that Kendra bothered to ask.

"Toorima Walker," she answered.  "Rima for short.  You said Kendra Potter?  You're rumored to be…no, never mind.  It's nice to meet you.  You're getting everything for Hogwarts, aren't you?"

"Yep," Kendra replied with a smile, not picking up on Rima's stumbling.  "Are you?"  Still surprised that Kendra was speaking to her, Rima nodded.  Moments later, the witches finished their robes and handed both girls their respective clothing.

"Where are you going now?" Kendra asked.  Rima paused, halfway through drawing a wand from her pants pocket.

"I'm not sure," she answered.  "I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron until September first.  I don't need to get anything else.  Hold on.  _Kyuuten_!"  She laid the tip of the wand against the cloth.  It glowed blue for a brief moment before fading back to its typical black.

"You already know spells?" Kendra asked in slight awe.  Rima smiled at her, her expression suddenly softening.  Kendra abruptly realized that Rima's blue hair fell over the left side of her face for a reason: a patch covered her eye.

"Some, yeah," Rima said, shrugging a bit with a faintly embarrassed smirk.  "That one in particular is something I need to do with all my clothes.  It makes the cloth change according to me."

"Why do you need to do that?" Kendra inquired innocently as they paid for their robes and walked out of the shop.  Rima paused and glanced around with her quicksilver eye.

"Hold this, and I'll show you," she murmured.  Kendra took her robes and wand and watched the other girl.  Rima closed her eye and suddenly looked exactly like Kendra.  Another moment passed, and she became a badger, statue of a sword, and herself in succession.  She looked around nervously when she turned back into herself.  Kendra was bubbling over with fascination and excitement.

"Wow!" she gasped.  "That was incredible!  How did you do that?"  Rima, for the few minutes that Kendra had known her, never looked more uncomfortable.

"Well, well," a familiar voice said behind Rima.  "A full-fledged, pureblood shapeshifter.  You don't see many nowadays.  Make a friend, Kendra?"  Rima whirled about, throwing her arm out and stepping in front of Kendra.  She reached back to take her wand from Kendra's arms, but a hand closed around her wrist.  Seal smiled calmingly at the blue-haired girl who was a solid five foot five to Seal's five eight.

"Calm down," she murmured softly.  "Neither you nor Kendra have anything to worry about from me.  Your worries are unfounded with me because we have the same problem.  My name's Seal, and I'm half-werewolf.  You?  What's your name?"  Rima glanced over her shoulder at Kendra, gazing at the other girl's smile before loosening her muscles and lowering her arm.

"Toorima Walker," she answered.  "Rima for short.  Sorry for almost drawing on you.  It's just that…well, metamorphmagi are less discriminated against because all they do is change their physical features.  Shapeshifters though…we're barely classified as magic-users—barely classified as humans.  The Ministry puts us in the same boat as vampires and werewolves."

"Then you're no different than anyone else to me," Kendra spoke up.  "You're something better.  You're my friend."  Rima and Seal both turned to look in surprise at the girl.  Kendra chuckled, closing her green eyes in vague embarrassment.

"Um, isn't that the man from this morning?" she questioned, pointing at the swiftly advancing figure.  The white-haired man hurried through the crowd, running and dodging between the witches and wizards.

"Dante?" Seal asked when the man stopped in front of them.  "What are you doing here?"

"That doesn't matter," the man, Dante, hissed.  "Get her to the nearest fire, now!  Get her to Hogwarts as soon as you can!"  Seal's gold eyes narrowed at his words, but she nodded and turned to Kendra.

"We need to go," she murmured.  "Nice meeting you, Rima.  Stay safe."

"See you at the start of term," Kendra said quickly, handing Rima back her belongings before Seal and Dante hurried her away.  Rima watched them go with a faint, content smile.  It was the first smile she had ever shown.

----------

Kendra stared up at the slowly rotating ceiling above her, slightly sick to her stomach.  She had never realized one could travel through fireplaces, much less imagined that there was a specialized powder to incorporate the magic.

"Dante, you said you would meet us back here, not in the middle of Diagon Alley.  What in the hell is going on?"  Kendra managed to move her head to look blearily up at her godparents.  Dante's frown seemed to speak volumes to Seal and she blanched.

"The Death Eaters?" she asked.  Dante nodded, much to Seal's visible distress.  Kendra closed her eyes to stop the whirling room and to reset the gears in her head.  She thought about what Seal had just asked, the words "Death Eaters" ringing in her ears.  Something about those words dredged up a latent worry in her heart.  Her eyes snapped open and she struggled to her unsure feet.

"What happened to Dudley and Gaye?" she demanded.  "What did the Death Eaters do?"  Seal looked away, unable to answer.  Dante turned to her, red eyes strangely soft.

"Kendra, I'm sorry," he murmured.  "They were killed."  Kendra's already unsteady legs buckled as the news struck her.  She fell to her knees, staring in shock at the floor.  She couldn't move.

_—to be continued—_


	2. Breaking a Lie

Night of the Broken Glass, Revisited

C2: Breaking a Lie

[Disclaimer: J.K. Rowing owns the original work.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

Kendra had managed to wander out of the castle and down to the lake.  She had stood there until the sun sank below the horizon, until the moon rose up and cast shimmering beams down onto the water's surface.  She had stood there, in fact, until great, lumbering footsteps announced the arrival of someone else.

"Kendra!" the person said in a joyful cry.  "I knew it!  The professors said ye were all right and now yer here at Hogwarts!"  Massive arms wrapped around her and squeezed her in a tremendous bear hug.  Kendra cringed, wincing as she heard and felt a few dozen pops from her bones.  Unaware that the person had lifted her off her feet, Kendra was unprepared for her release.  She fell, landing heavily on her back and wincing again at the shot of pain.  A moment later, the person lifted her back up and thumped her onto her feet.

A giant of a man stood in front of her, a grand smile beaming through his graying beard.  His beetle-black eyes gleamed with utter happiness and pride.  Kendra, silent since that afternoon, stared up at him with sad green eyes.  The man ploughed right on with his conversation, seemingly oblivious to the hurt in Kendra's eyes.

"Name's Rubeus Hagrid," he rumbled.  "'Course I know who _you_ are, Kendra!  Once the term starts, all those rumors are going to be put to rest!  Ye'll finally be going to Hogwarts, like ye should!  Daughter of Harry and Hermione how could ye not?"

"Hagrid, good," another person spoke up.  Both Kendra and Hagrid turned to find Seal standing near the young, black-haired girl.  Though she had not seen Seal in her robes before, Kendra said nothing to prove that fact.

"Would you mind terribly if we went out to your house for a while?" she questioned, laying a gentle hand on Kendra's shoulder.  "I think we could all use some tea right about now."

"O' course, professor!" Hagrid replied jovially.  "Can catch up with ye, Kendra!"  Still very, very numb, Kendra walked along with Hagrid and Seal to a wooden house on the edge of the dark forest near the castle.  Loud barking erupted into the crisp night as they approached the house.  Hagrid opened the door, fending off a large dog as he did.  The dog lapped madly at him before spying Kendra and Seal.  He bounded over to Seal, who gave him a peculiar glance.  He quieted down and trotted over to the fireplace, lying down on the warm hearth near the flames.

"Here ye are," Hagrid said, placing two large mugs of slightly steaming tea onto an oversized table.  Seal looked at Kendra, who in turn did not meet her eyes.

"Thanks," she murmured.  "One more favor.  Do you have a bowl that I could borrow for a moment?"  Confusion apparent on his face, Hagrid fished a clean basin from a cupboard and handed it to Seal.

"What do ye need it for?" he asked.  Seal turned to Kendra, who was growing paler by the moment.

"You'll know in a second," she answered.  Not a moment later, Kendra fell to her knees, visibly trembling as beads of sweat rolled down her face.  Tears soon joined the sweat as Seal knelt down beside her.  Without pause, she became violently ill into the basin.  Seal calmly brushed back the girl's hair, rubbing her back through the worst of it.  When it was over, Kendra turned to Seal and began to cry wholeheartedly.  Seal gently pulled the girl into her arms, letting her cry into her chest.

"What's wrong?" Hagrid asked worriedly.  "Wrong end of a spell?"  Seal chuckled a bit, rubbing Kendra's back as she sobbed.

"No," she replied.  "She's had a very trying day.  I'm a bit amazed that she made it this far before starting to cry.  First Dante and I show up and tell her that we're her godparents, he's a vampire, I'm half-werewolf, and she's a witch in one go.  Then she and I go down to Diagon Alley, which is always a culture shock for someone raised by Muggles.  Finally, unfortunately, Dante shows up and gives us some bad news."  Hagrid crouched low, carefully patting the upset girl on the head.

"Death Eaters, weren't it?" he growled.  Seal nodded, her attention still mainly focused on the girl in her arms.  Hagrid frowned, casting a dark glance at the window and to the sky.

"Killed the Dursleys," Seal sighed.  "Dudley and Gaye.  They had been taking care of her until today.  I guess they finally figured out that she's not dead.  That was such a good way to cover our tracks though.  Dante managed to destroy the memories of the Death Eaters that attacked the Potters ten years ago, but maybe they broke the charm."

"So they killed 'em?" Hagrid inquired.  "Just fer being related to her?  For taking care of her?"  Seal nodded once again, idling playing with a few strands of Kendra's straight, short black hair.  She chuckled suddenly.

"Harry and Hermione had messier hair than I did—Harry alone did," she said in a soft voice.  "Kind of strange that their daughter has such tame hair.  Well, she's cried herself into exhaustion."  Kendra had fallen into heavy slumber, face streaked with tears.  "Thanks for the hospitality, Hagrid.  I'll see if I can get Kendra to come back down here later.  You can tell her about her parents."

Hagrid positively grinned at her words.  Seal smiled at him, gathering Kendra up in her arms.  She said her goodbyes and began the long stroll back to the castle.

----------

Frigid air abruptly filled her ear.  Kendra shrieked and jumped, covering her ears and sitting up.  She came nose to non-existent nose with a floating, translucent poltergeist with a ridiculous orange bow tie.  He grinned wickedly at her, but she was still rather numb from the previous day and unsure of what to make of the ghost.

"Oh, look!" he cackled.  "It's another potty wee Potter!  How're you, ickle firstie?"  A door suddenly creaked open and both Kendra and the poltergeist looked towards it.  The poltergeist would have turned pale if he hadn't already been stark white when he laid eyes upon the white-haired man at the door.

"Peeves," Dante murmured.  "Do us a favor and go visit with the Bloody Baron for a few hours.  Or perhaps the whole day.  In fact, why don't you go and amuse yourself with the merfolk in the lake?  I'm sure they'd love your company for the day.  Now go."  Peeves did not waste a moment, flying through the wall at top speed.  Dante frowned after him.

"Bloody thing," he said in his perpetually calm, low voice.  "That was Peeves, Kendra.  He's the resident poltergeist here, along with quite a few other ghosts.  Sorry that he woke you.  He plays tricks on everybody here.  He only listens to the Bloody Baron or myself.  Care to join me for a walk?"  Kendra saw the sunlight slanting in through a window and looked up to Dante.

"I thought vampires couldn't stand sunlight," she said, her voice exceptionally scratchy.  Dante smiled at her.

"Nice to hear you speak again," he said.  "Vampires were once very susceptible to sunlight.  However, we evolved.  The only weakness we have to sunlight is a minor—our eyes are poor in high light.  Easily remedied with a spell or those charming Muggle sunglasses.  Come on then.  It's a beautiful day out."

A few minutes later, Dante had led the girl to the grounds.  He was quite regal, his robes fluttering slightly as he walked.  Kendra walked just behind him, her eyes still on the ground.  Dante walked at a leisurely pace, arms behind his back as he led her closer and closer to the edge of the forest.  They reached Hagrid's hut, where Hagrid stood near the trees, looking down at something.

"Ah, Hagrid," Dante said as he walked up to the massive man.  "Always a pleasure.  Have you brought the thestrals?"  Hagrid nodded, smiling at Kendra.

"Yep," he answered.  "Tenebrus right here.  Of course, you and I can see 'em, professor Ascarte.  How about you, Kendra?  Can ye see 'em?  Great winged horse standing right there."  He pointed at a dark shape near him that was tearing pieces of meat from a large hunk.  Kendra looked closer and saw the bright, shining white eyes near the meat, the dragonish face and neck, and the black winged horse body.

"I…what is it?" she asked, stepping forwards curiously.  Dante smiled and walked to the creature, patting it on the head.

"It's a thestral," he answered.  "A very intelligent magic creature.  Unfortunately, the fact that you can see him is a sad one.  Thestrals are only visible to those who have seen death.  Poor Seal.  She can smell them, but she can't see them.  Drives her mad.  Thank you Hagrid.  Kendra, come on."  He began to walk off again, Kendra taking a faltering step along with him.

"See you later, Hagrid," she muttered quickly before walking away with Dante.  The white-haired man walked down to the lake and stood there for a time before Kendra caught up with him.  They both watched the wind-rippled water until Kendra could not keep back her question.

"What was the point of showing me the thestral?" she inquired.  "To remind me that I've seen someone die?  To remind me that important people to me have died?"

"No," Dante replied.  "The thestrals are just very interesting creatures.  You'll probably see them during a Care of Magical Creatures class in a few years.  When you see them later, you will see that you are not the only person who has suffered through seeing someone die."

"So you're telling me not to be sad that the Dursleys died?" Kendra snapped.  "What am I supposed to be?  Jolly about it?  They took care of me for ten years!  They were the only family I knew and they were killed because of me!"  Dante smiled at her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"No," he said again.  "I'm telling you that it's perfectly all right to be sad.  The thing is, you can't be sad forever.  It's all right to miss them, and it's all right to be unhappy that they're gone.  Dwelling on it, though, is something that will drive you quite mad.  If you'll pardon me, I need to finish a few lesson plans.  I'm sure Hagrid is dying to talk with you, just so you know."  He patted her on the shoulder before turning and walking back towards the castle.

Kendra sighed and sat down at the edge of the lake.  She watched the sun break apart into glimmering diamonds on the ever-changing water and listened to the lulling shushes of waves breaking on the well-worn shore.  It was many minutes before she stood back up and started towards Hagrid's hut.  Hagrid had just sent the thestral back into the forest when she walked up to him.

"Hello again," Hagrid said with a grin.  Kendra chanced a grin as well and found it came easier than she expected.

"Hello, Hagrid," she said in turn.  "I'm sorry that I wasn't very talkative yesterday.  Um, I was wondering…could you tell me about my parents?"  Hagrid beamed once again.

"O' course," he rumbled.  "Come on inside!  I'll tell ye all about 'em."

----------

Hours upon hours later, a lone gray wolf meandered down the path to Hagrid's hut under the waning crescent moon.  It reverted to Seal, and she knocked on Hagrid's door.  He answered with a smile, lifting a finger to his beard in a signal to stay quiet.  Seal smiled broadly at the sight Hagrid revealed.  Kendra sat curled in one of the oversized chairs, a photo album open under her fingers.

Seal continued to smile as she lifted Kendra into her arms again, mindful to keep the book in Kendra's hands.  Again, she walked back to the castle with Kendra in her arms.

----------

Over the remaining days before the term started, Kendra had a good number of visitors.  One of the resident house-elves, Dobby, had given her a fair-sized lump on the head.  He had been so excited to hear that Harry Potter's daughter was living at Hogwarts that he had hurried out of the kitchen and its portrait exactly when Kendra was walking by.

Kendra walked into the portrait, striking her head on the hard frame.  She fell to the ground, stunned but conscious, with a throbbing bump on her head.  Dobby saw her and leapt onto her, hugging her until she couldn't breathe.

"Miss Kendra Potter!" he squealed.  "Dobby is so glad to see you!  Dobby is so glad to learn that what was said is not true about Kendra Potter!"  Out of habit, and due partially to the bump on her head, Kendra did not ask about the rumors and what they said about her.  She let Dobby take her on a tour of the castle, listening as he told her about all the great things her parents did.  They both laughed at Hermione's exploits with S.P.E.W. and Harry's sometimes-waning patience with that.

A day or two later, she had wandered down to a large pitch.  Banners and flags adorned with the house mascots waved in the wind.  Two dots weaved through the air, throwing a red ball back and forth.  She found her way onto the field itself and looked up at them.  Both of the dots were a man and a woman on broomsticks, and both of them had fiery red hair.  The man looked down and saw her and froze in midair.  The red ball thumped him in the chest, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Ginny!" he called to the woman on the other broom.  "Will you look at this?  I forgot that Seal and Dante brought Kendra up to Hogwarts!  Come on!"  He and the woman swooped down and landed on the soft green grass.

"I can't believe you're finally here," the woman said, smiling broadly as she looked at Kendra.  "It's been ten years since…everything.  How are you, Kendra?"

"Oh, well enough," the girl replied.  "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't know your names, and you obviously know mine."  The man smiled at her and held out his hand.

"I'm Ron Weasley," he answered.  "This is my little sister, Ginny.  We're professors here.  I'm the flying instructor, and Ginny's the Charms teacher."  When Kendra took his hand with her left, he turned her hand and looked at the large, dull red 'x' on her skin.  He frowned.

"So that's your scar," Ron murmured.  "Sorry that you can't cover it a bit.  Harry always tried to cover his with his hair."  Kendra looked confused for a moment.

"Why would I?" she questioned, looking at her hand.  "This scar has been with me for all my life.  It's grown on me, really."  Wanting to get off the topic, Ginny decided to speak up.

"Seal said that you were raised by Muggles," she said.  "I guess this was the first time you've seen people on broomsticks.  Would you like to try flying?"

"Yeah!" Ron shouted in glee.  "If you're good enough, Dumbledore might let me let you onto your house team for Quidditch!"  Ginny frowned and smacked her brother in the shoulder.

"Ron, she's not Harry," she chided.  "Still, why don't you try it, Kendra?  Get on and kick off the ground hard.  Making the broom move is all a mental work."  She handed the broom to Kendra, who stared at it for a few minutes.  She read the gold lettering: "Nimbus 2000."  Kendra stood still for another few minutes until an epiphany occurred.

"Oh!" she laughed.  "I get it!"  She dropped the broom on the ground, stepped onto it with one foot, and kicked off with her other foot.  Ron and Ginny paled, their freckles glaring as Kendra shot up into the air.

"Not like that!" Ron shouted in horror.  "Oh, sweet Merlin!  Seal's going to kill me if she gets hurt!"  He started to get on his broom, but a hand pulled it from him.

"I think you need to calm down," Seal said, standing next to Ron.  "Watch her before you stop her."  Ron, still stark white, did as he was told and looked up to watch Kendra.  In the air, Kendra had never felt so wonderful.  At the slightest lean of her body, the barest thought, and the smallest move of her feet, the broom reacted accordingly and perfectly.  She leaned forward, pushing back with her rear foot and pointing the broom up.

The broom carried her into the sky, wind whipping her hair around her face.  She had been getting on fairly well with her skateboarding, creating her own tricks and executing others perfectly.  This only continued it with the increased excitement of being high in the air.  Kendra rose higher and dove down again, scraping the tips of the grass as she shot by the three adults on the ground.

It was better than skateboarding, she soon realized.  She wove in and out of the hoops at the ends of the pitch, circling, diving, and all the while growing more and more addicted to flying.  Kendra even dared a barrel roll and a full loop-the-loop, ignoring the sudden shriek of terror that came from Ron's throat.  Her natural limit-breaker attitude began to sink in as she rose higher, dove steeper, and did everything as fast as was possible on the Nimbus.

A long while later, when she came in for an easy landing near the adults, she burst out laughing for two reasons.  For one, she had never been so exhilarated in all her life except for when she first started skateboarding.  That, and Ron had passed out from sheer horror at her stunts and what Seal might have done to him if she had fallen.  Ginny and Seal, however, applauded her loudly and proudly.

"That was incredible!" Ginny exclaimed.  "No one's ever flown like that!  I thought you lived with Muggles!"

"I did," Kendra replied, a tad out of breath from laughing at Ron.  "I just skateboarded a lot."  Seeing that her ward was unsure of why Ginny was giving her a blank look, Seal stepped in to help.

"A skateboard is a bit like a Muggle broom," she explained.  "Of course, it can't fly, but it's one of the more popular things—like our brooms."  Seal closed her eyes as if blinking, but did not open them for a while.  Ginny and Kendra sighed, looking at each other with a faint smile.

"Is she all right?" Kendra asked, curious about why Seal continually fell asleep at completely random times.

"Oh, she's all right," Ginny answered.  "She's just got what Muggles call narcolepsy.  It means she can't control when she falls asleep.  Luckily, being a witch and half-werewolf, she gets a bit more control on it.  She just falls asleep when her body knows nothing bad is going to happen in her episodes.  Seal!  Seal, wake up, you fur ball!"  Seal's gold eyes snapped open.

"Ginny, do me a favor," she said.  "When Ron wakes up, tell him to talk to Dumbledore and see if that rule about first-years still flexes.  I'm going to Diagon Alley for a bit."  She began to walk towards the castle, whistling to herself as she walked.

"What rule?" Kendra inquired.  Ginny laughed and crouched down, gently slapping Ron in the face a few times to see if he would come out of his faint.

"The thing is, Quidditch is a bit dangerous," she expounded.  "Bludgers flying around trying to knock you off your broom, and the other team doesn't help.  Because of that, first-year students aren't usually allowed to have their own brooms.  That and we don't really trust silly little firsties to not crash into one of the towers."

"So Seal thinks I'm good enough for Professor Dumbledore to bend the rule?" Kendra queried.  Ginny smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"Kendra, I was a year under your dad here," she replied.  "Ron told me all about Harry's first adventure on a broomstick, and from what I can tell, you took to it faster than _he_ did.  Professor Dumbledore is willing to bend that rule if someone's good enough.  That's why we've started to let first-years try out for their house team if they want to."  Kendra nodded, taking the information in easily.  At their feet, Ron let out a faint moan before opening his eyes and sitting up.  He looked at Kendra and grinned so broadly, all his teeth were showing.

"Ginny, we're going to wipe the floor with those Slytherins this year," he said gleefully.  "Where's Seal?  We need to get this girl the best broom out there."

"Ron's been bitter about Quidditch ever since he and Harry graduated," Ginny murmured to Kendra.  "Gryffindor went south after Harry left.  Snape's been rubbing it in our faces—Seal's especially, ever since she started teaching right after Harry left.  She's head of Gryffindor, and Snape's head of Slytherin."

"He's still a greasy git," Ron grumbled.  "Kendra, you'll love playing Quidditch!  Lisa and Erika will love you!"  Kendra blinked at the names.

"His daughters," Ginny interjected again.  "They're two of the Chasers for Gryffindor.  Our whole family has been in Gryffindor—from our parents down to our kids.  Your parents and your grandparents were in Gryffindor too."

"Still, lucky that they didn't get any of that inventing business from Fred and George," Ron said suddenly.  "Our brothers—twins like Lisa and Erika.  They run a whole business of practical joke magic.  They invented all of it by themselves."

"Yeah, well, Fred and George have everyone beat in the joker record here," Ginny replied.  "Even Erika and Lisa don't get in as much trouble as they did.  And to answer your question from a few minutes ago, Seal went to Diagon Alley herself."

"Brilliant!" Ron cried, leaping to his feet.  "I'm free to teach Kendra everything I know!"

"Which won't take long," Ginny said wryly.  The siblings went off in a playful row, smiling at each other's banter.  Kendra smiled as well, starting to feel very much at home at Hogwarts.

----------

Later that same day, Seal had returned with two items for Kendra.  One was a broomstick with the gold words "Lightning Bolt" etched in the handle, and the other was an ash-gray owl.

"Happy belated Birthday," she said, giving both things to Kendra after emerging from the bright green fire.  "I thought it would be better not to show this to Ron.  He might have passed out again."

The next day, Ron had indeed gone into conniptions over the broom.  He examined it from every angle and begged Kendra to let him ride it just once—after giving her the honorary first ride, of course.  Dante and Seal had both accompanied the girl to the Quidditch pitch to watch her and cheer her on.  Ron had tested her on the two free positions for Gryffindor's team—the Keeper and the Seeker.

Ron soon realized that Kendra's eyes were more finely tuned to the minute changes and shifts that the Snitch would give in its movements than the overlarge and sluggish (in comparison to the Snitch, of course) motions of the Quaffle.  Her eyes and her broom, in conjunction, proved to be an incredible duo.  The only reason it took her much time at all to catch the Snitch was due to the fact that she was an amateur flyer on a professional broomstick.  Ron barked orders and shouted corrections when necessary, and Kendra proved an apt pupil.

The sun had sunk low, half-under the mountains and forest surrounding the school, before Ron had been completely satisfied with Kendra's efforts.  He bounced back to the castle, unable to contain the squeals from his throat.  Kendra shouldered her broom and waited for Dante and Seal to come down from the stands.  Dante strode out onto the pitch, Seal hanging on his back like an oversized, sleeping child.

"Don't worry," he murmured.  "She fell asleep after you got off your broom.  She was hugging me at the time, and she just slipped off into her dreamland."  He reached up with his free hand and brushed at the tip of her nose.  Seal hummed in her sleep and nuzzled against his neck, hugging him with her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.  Kendra smiled as Dante let out one of his rare chuckles and smiled.

"We're all lucky," she suddenly said brightly.  "You have Seal, Seal has you, and I have both of you.  That's probably all we need in the long run."  Dante paused briefly, a bit surprised at Kendra's intuitiveness.  He thought about her father—his strangely accurate episodes in seeing the future—and wondered if the girl had come to possess the same sight.  Abruptly, Kendra tripped over a sudden rise in the ground and fell on her face.  Dante's lips and eyebrow twitched at the girl, but he held his tongue.

----------

On the first of September, Dante had pulled Kendra aside and told her to wait at the front door with Seal.  The other students, as tradition demanded for first-years, would glide across the lake under the new moon and receive their first look at Hogwarts.  Seal would greet them at the door, taking them to the Great Hall and relieving Hagrid of his duties.  Kendra would merely join them there as an early arrival that required sorting.

And so, when the sun fell beyond the horizon, Kendra kept faithfully to Seal's side and waited for the other students to arrive.  The older students arrived first, already sorted in earlier and filing noisily to their respective tables.  Kendra was shocked out of a reverie at three booming knocks to the great front door of the castle.  Seal smiled at her and pulled open the door.

"Firs' years, Professor Seal," Hagrid rumbled importantly.

"Thanks much, Hagrid," Seal replied, continuing to smile in her sleepy way.  "Come on, this way please."  Kendra was easily immersed in the other new students—most were looking around in either awe or anxiety at the stone walls and the flaming torches in said walls.  Many of them looked at the bright, open doorway to the Great Hall, but Seal walked into the empty chamber just beyond it.  The students huddled together, wondering what exactly was happening.  Kendra felt a presence at her left elbow and turned, finding Rima Walker standing next to her.

"Hello," Seal said, greeting the obviously panicky children.  "Welcome to Hogwarts.  I know you're all hungry and you want food, but you'll have to wait just a little longer.  First, we need to sort you into your respective houses.  Your house…hmm, how do I put this?  It's a tad like a family for your school life.  You eat with them, sleep in the house dormitory with them, and spend free time with them in your common room.

"Ah, what else?  Oh, right.  The houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff.  They're all good houses to be in, honestly.  All turned out plenty of great witches and wizards in their time, that's certain.  Now, there was one other thing.  How could I forget?  When you're here at Hogwarts, your house will gain or lose house points depending on your behavior.  Break the rules, and you'll be punished accordingly—either through points or a detention, or both.  Do good things—excel in your work, get difficult things right, that sort of thing—and you'll be rewarded.  If you'll pardon me for a tic, I'll be right back."

She walked out of the room and towards the Great Hall.  Whispers filled the room in her absence.  Kendra turned and smiled cheerfully at Rima.  The blue-haired girl smiled in response.  A few minutes later, Seal returned and ushered them into the Great Hall.  Kendra looked up at the ceiling, smiling at the starry sky and thankful that the full moon was not that night.

In the center of the hall, between the four tables and in front of the High Table, sat a three-legged stool with a very ragged hat atop it.  Seal stood by it and closed her eyes just as a rip near the brim open.  The Sorting Hat sang its song, and Seal woke to the sound of applause.

"When I call your name, come and sit under the hat," she said, lifting the hat in one hand and a roll of parchment in the other.  "Ansolo, Garrett!"  An auburn-haired lad swaggered to the chair and sat down, Seal dropping the hat on his head.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried.  One table in particular began to cheer loudly amidst the polite clapping from the other tables.  The boy swept to the table and sat.

"Aragen, Rachel!"  A blond girl swaggered forwards as well, nose high in the air.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried again.  More cheers, and the girl walked away.  The shouts continued on, but Kendra paid little attention.  She scanned the High Table, looking at all the teachers.  Dante was watching the proceedings with his steely, blood-red eyes and sat between Hagrid and a man with silvering black hair, black eyes, and an unpleasant look on his face.  Ron and Ginny Weasley sat next to each other, cheering as "Bale, Jason!" was made a Gryffindor.

It continued that way for many more minutes.  Some students took longer to sort, and some (like a young lady with the surname of "Malfoy") were sorted almost instantly.  Kendra was pulled out of her thoughts when Rima poked her gently in the side.

"She's at the 'P's," she whispered.  Kendra, however, felt no worry about the issue.  All it really meant to her was that she was going to be sorted fairly soon, and the only thought in her mind was that she didn't particularly care for Slytherin house.  The whole lot seemed ill-tempered and plainly unpleasant.

"Potter, Kendra!"

The whispers and faint clapping that had created a soft buzz stopped instantly.  Kendra paused, her eyes flicking over what she could see without twisting her head.  Every student was silent, and even some of the teachers were staring at her in utter confusion.  Despite all this, Kendra took a step forward out of the crowd, trying to ignore the eyes on her.

She sat down, and Seal dropped the hat on her head.  New whispers started to rise up, but Kendra couldn't hear them.  A voice was speaking to her from the hat.

"_Hmm, another Potter_," it murmured in her ear.  "_I remember your family.  Great potential, yearning to prove that spark inside—you all have the same traits, indeed you do.  But where shall I put you?_"

_Could it be not Slytherin?_ Kendra asked in her mind.  _They don't seem like the kind of people I'd want to be around_.

"_Not Slytherin_?" the hat questioned.  "_Well, if that's what's in your head, then you had better go to_…GRYFFINDOR!"  There was a long silence.  A sharp clap rang out.  If Kendra could have seen, Dante had stood up and clapped for her, a smirk on his face.  The two Weasley professors stood up as well, starting to clap furiously.  Hagrid stood as well, clapping his massive hands together.  The weight of the hat's decision sank in, and sheer chaos prevailed at the Gryffindor table.

Kendra walked to the table, smiling and forgetting all about the strange whispers and stares she had just received.  Two girls with red hair leapt up and grabbed her right hand in turn, shaking until her arm went completely numb.  She sat down, mindful to save a space next to her so Rima could sit once she was sorted.  A time later, a boy named Virgil Riddle was sorted into Gryffindor to the usual applause.  The boy had light brown hair and gunmetal gray eyes.  He looked quite frightened.

Much later, Rima was the last to be sorted and was sorted into Gryffindor.  When the applause died down, the man in the center of the High Table stood up.

"Tuck in," he said graciously, his voice as regal as his long silver hair and beard.  Food appeared on the plates instantly via the house-elves' magic.  The buzz of minutes earlier returned in full force.  Kendra was taking a drink of pumpkin juice when the first strange question occurred.

"So, Kendra…rumor was you were killed with your parents."  Kendra choked, coughing into her hand in an effort to dislodge the drink.  Rima took the goblet and carefully thumped her on the back.

"Wha—t?" Kendra asked, coughing once to finally clear her throat.  "Who said that?"  She wasn't even entirely sure of who had spoken.

"Sorry, but we were just wondering," the same voice said.  Kendra looked up to see the two red-haired girls from before watching her avidly, grinning.

"Yeah," one of the identical girls agreed.  "Our dad—Ron Weasley, the redhead fellow up there—he didn't say a thing to us.  Just told us that Gryffindor was getting a new Seeker that would blow Slytherin out of the water, right Erika?"  The other girl nodded.

"But all the rumors were that you had been killed," the other continued.  "Took some of You-Know-Who's power on your way, too.  That's why he hasn't been acting up for the past few years."  Kendra was utterly lost in the conversation.  She had no idea who they were talking about, much less that she had been rumored to be dead for most of her life.

"She weakened Anton, that much is certain," Rima spoke up in her aid, taking a long draw from her goblet.  "But, as you can see, she's not exactly dead.  That fellow towards the end of the table, though—he's quite dead."

"Did you have to say his name?" Erika grumbled.  Rima gazed quietly at her for a moment, quicksilver eye cold and studious.  Erika wisely left it alone.

"Well, introductions, come on!" the first of the two red-haired girls said.  "Lisa Weasley, at your service.  One of the resident Beaters for Gryffindor."

"Erika Weasley," Erika said in turn.  "The other resident Beater for Gryffindor."

"Kendra Potter," Kendra continued the thread.  "I guess I'm the living dead girl, huh?"  The four snickered before three of them turned to Rima.  She regarded them for a moment.

"Rima Walker," she answered their silent question.  "Shapeshifter."  Erika and Lisa opened their mouths, but Rima cut them off with a smirk.  "I don't do requests."

"We actually were going to ask if both of your parents were shapeshifters too," Erika muttered.  "Professor Ascarte—that white-haired chap next to our dad—he's Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he said there are variations on shapeshifters."

"There are three," Rima replied.  "Shapeshifters, metamorphmagi, and complete animagi.  Shapeshifters are one hundred percent shapeshifter and are only born to complete shapeshifters.  Metamorphmagi and complete animagi are luck of the draw when they're born.  Whenever shapeshifter blood is mixed with wizard blood, a metamorphmagus or a complete animagus could happen."

"You know a lot for a first-year," Lisa chuckled approvingly before she and her sister began to debate a few other Gryffindors about recent Quidditch activities.  Kendra smiled at Rima's faint smirk.  Some time later, after the dinner had faded into dessert, and after the desserts had vanished, the silver-haired man, Albus Dumbledore, stood up again.

"Now that we are all quite full, there are a few start-of-term notices I should tell you," he said.  "The forest on the grounds is off limits to all students.  Mr. Filch has reminded me to remind you that magic should not be used between classes in the corridors.  Quidditch trials will be announced for each house in their respective common rooms, and those interested in trying out should contact Professor Ronald Weasley.  Lastly, the dungeon at the end of the Potions corridor is off limits to everyone who does not want to die tragically young.  Now, to bed!  Off you trot!"

The students did as they were bid, walking after their house prefects obediently.  The first years shuffled along sleepily, a few traces of remaining conversations barely passing by their yawning lips.  Up and up the Gryffindors went, past whispering portraits and hastily following subjects.  Kendra yawned and took another step, only to sink up to her knee in the stair.  She would have fallen face first into the next few stairs if Rima hadn't caught her round the middle.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," the prefect, a young man with corn-yellow hair, sighed.  "Is your leg stuck or can you help her get free?"  Rima and Kendra shook their heads, Kendra having already tried to move her leg in the slightest.

"Peeves!" the prefect snapped.  "Get out here and let go of her leg!"  The poltergeist popped into the visible spectrum; ready and willing to blow a raspberry at the prefect and pull whomever he had caught down further into the stairway.  The rude noise died on his dead tongue when he caught sight of Kendra.  He vanished again, and Rima pulled Kendra free.

"Lucky skunk!" the prefect laughed, crossing his arms.  "Looks like Peeves is going to leave you alone!  Come on, now!  Still a bit to go before you can sleep!"  He continued on, the first-years trailing close behind.  Eventually, he led them to a painting of a fat woman in pink silk.

"Password?" she questioned.

"The password," the prefect said to both the students behind him and the Fat Lady, "is Lunaris."  The Fat Lady nodded and swung open to expose a round hole in the wall behind her painting.  The first-years clambered into the common room with its warm, roaring fire and comfortable armchairs.  The prefect directed the students to the boys and girls' dormitories, and the group split apart.

Kendra tried to smile benignly at the three girls that were alternately fawning and staring at her, but her grin was just a tad disturbed.  One of the girls shuffled over and poked her in the stomach.  Kendra jumped back with a surprised squeak, staring as the brown-haired girl ran back to the others with a squeal.  Rima let out an amused cough, so the three girls would look up.

"Yes, Kendra is obviously quite solid, real, and alive," she said with a smirk.  "There's no doubt that she'll get a few strange looks tomorrow, so why don't we all just go to bed for now?"  As if to conclude the incident, the three girls yawned widely.  They gave Kendra an embarrassed, apologetic look.  Soon, the lights were extinguished and girls were in their beds.

----------

The door at the end of the long, dark corridor was ajar.  When she moved into the room, light flashed and blinded her.  She blinked, and when her eyes opened, she was walking down another stone corridor.  As she walked through the hallway, her eyes fell upon certain, strange items.

A large broadsword was stabbed deep in the wall, straight through the middle of a few bricks.  A bit further on, a robe of white body and dark blue trim lay strewn on the floor, as if cast off from someone running by.  Even further, the left-side wall stopped and opened to a courtyard with a large fountain.  She walked to the courtyard and looked at the fountain.

The water was beautifully clear, but did not reflect the sky.  She looked up and gazed bemusedly at the sky, which was alternating yellow and red, pulsing from a blood-colored sun.  Her eyes lowered to a ledge behind a sheet of clear glass.  Two men in black, hooded robes looked back at her.  Their faces were shadowed, but their glowing red eyes stood out from the darkness.  The scar on her hand suddenly burned, and when she looked at it, it seemed to glow the same red as the men's eyes.

A hand suddenly fell on her shoulder.  She turned and saw three people standing behind her.  One was the boy, Virgil Riddle, standing off to her left.  His face was set in anger, his wand drawn and pointed at the two men.  Another was Rima, standing at her right, a Bo staff in one hand and her wand in the other.

The last of the three stood on her left, just behind her.  It was a tall woman with short, slightly spiky white hair and dark blue eyes.  She smiled at Kendra, her hand strong on the girl's shoulder.  Virgil was the first to rush forward, as if to cry out a spell.  The smaller of the men flicked his own wand at him, and Virgil was thrown backwards into a wall.  He fell, bleeding and unmoving.

Rima rushed forwards when Virgil fell.  Her speed was unbelievable.  She shot forwards, dodging about in hopes of avoiding the same spell.  However, when she leapt up level with the high ledge and swung both the staff and her wand at the men.  The smaller man flicked his wand again, and Rima was struck with the spell.  She hit the wall even harder than Virgil, and much higher up.  Rima crumpled and fell, bleeding and unmoving just like Virgil.

The woman's hand tightened on her shoulder comfortingly, and Kendra felt a surge of hope.  However, pain rushed through her body as the woman's hand tightened agonizingly.  The two men's eyes widened briefly as Kendra let out a cry of pain as the woman took her other shoulder.  Thunder sounded in the sky, and Kendra's vision was obliterated by light.

----------

Kendra woke with a strangled gasp.  She sat up and looked about.  A clock in the circular room ticked off the few remaining seconds before 6:39.  Kendra took a deep breath and swallowed sharply.

"Are you all right?"  Kendra jerked and looked up.  Rima was standing near the window by Kendra's bed, pulling a robe on over her blue jeans and gray t-shirt.  Kendra nodded, rubbing a bead of sweat from her brow with her left hand.  She winced, however—her scar was stinging.  Her grimace did not go unnoticed by Rima.

"What's wrong with your hand?" she questioned.  Before Kendra could retract her hand, Rima gently took hold of her wrist.  She gazed at the scar with her remaining eye, but found nothing terribly wrong.

"It just hurts?" she asked.  Kendra nodded, rubbing at the scar when Rima released her hand.  Rima gave her a soft look; unusual for her.  After a moment, she stood back and smiled a bit.  "Nothing in particular you want to tell me?  A dream, maybe?"  Kendra paused and shook her head.

"Do you think we should get to the Great Hall?" she inquired.  "Breakfast is probably soon."  Rima nodded and turned to the window to let her friend dress.  A few minutes later, as they were about to leave, Kendra paused and looked at the still slumbering girls.  "Should we wake them?"  Rima smirked.

"No," she chuckled.  "Innocent payback for their silliness last night.  Come on."  She and Kendra walked out of the room.

_—to be continued—_


	3. Pieces of Will

Night of the Broken Glass, Revisited

C3: Pieces of Will

[Disclaimer: J.K. Rowing owns the original work.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

"Good morning," a timid voice said.  Kendra and Rima looked up from their breakfast to see the boy, Virgil Riddle, standing on the other side of the table.  He gave them a nervous smile, sitting down opposite Kendra.  Rima gave him a sharp glare, but said nothing.  Kendra, however, waved at him with a piece of toast in her mouth.

"The professor with gray hair already came by and passed out schedules," he murmured nervously.  "She asked me to make sure you two got yours when you came down for breakfast.  Here."  He handed them their respective schedules.  Kendra mumbled a barely coherent "thank you" around her toast, reading over the schedule.  Rima grimaced at one of the subjects.

"Why on earth do we have Potions with the Slytherins?" she questioned no one in particular.  "It'd be obvious to someone with no eyes that Snape would do anything to help Slytherin and demean Gryffindor."  Kendra finished her toast and looked up to the High Table.  Working only off her minor memory of Ron Weasley's unflattering description, she looked at the teachers around the table for a "greasy git."

She recognized the man sitting next to Dante from the previous night.  He still wore the unpleasant expression from last night, and he did indeed seem a tad greasy.  His dark hair was beginning to lighten with age, but his eyes were clear and sharp.  He frowned around the room; first at Seal, who had fallen asleep on Dante's right; then at Dante, who was smiling and playing with Seal's hair and not paying much attention to the irritated man on his left.  His gaze traveled across the students, lightening only briefly on the Slytherin table.

"Charms first," Rima murmured, tapping Kendra on the shoulder.  "Come on.  Fifth floor."  Kendra nodded and stood with her friend.  Virgil hurried after them, still a bit nervous, but smiling at the silent acceptance Kendra gave him.  None of them gave the teachers a second glance.

----------

Classes were a mixture of everything possible in a class; they ran the whole gamut of emotions.  The female Weasley of the school taught Charms.  She smiled at Kendra when she called the roll, but did not overly show her partiality for the girl.

Professors Longbottom, Binns, and Gehrn taught Herbology, History of Magic, and Astronomy respectively.  Professor Binns, of course, took no notice when he called Kendra's name.  He took no notice when he died, so why would he notice a supposedly dead girl attending his class?  Professor Gehrn only paused a moment before continuing on the roll.  He seemed far more interested in the stars above than the world under his feet.

Professor Longbottom, a round-faced man with a bright smile, froze from head to toe when he saw Kendra's name.  He looked up at her, blinking in shock.

"Dad!" a girl with the same brown hair and round face hissed, jabbing the man in the side.  The professor jumped in surprise, but ceased his staring and got on with his lesson.  Later on, the girl sidled over to where Kendra, Rima, and Virgil stood.

"Sorry," she muttered.  "My dad—" She pointed at the professor.  "—knew your dad, Kendra.  He talks a lot about how your parents saved the day.  Listen, I'm sorry about how my dad just acted."  Kendra gave her a fairly blank look, blinking a few times in confusion.

"Oh, that!" she said suddenly.  "Everyone's been giving me those kind of looks and telling me about how great my parents were.  I'm getting a little used to it, really.  Don't worry so much."  The girl gave her a faintly sad look, but Kendra did not pick up on it as the bell toned.

----------

Later that day, just before lunch, Rima, Kendra, and Virgil walked into the Potions dungeon for class.  The three sat at two tables, Kendra and Rima to one and Virgil alone at the other.  Kendra grumbled and put her head onto the table.

"I'm hungry," she moaned.  "Remind me never to eat just toast at breakfast again."  Rima chuckled and patted the other girl on the head.  The door creaked opened and the three sat at attention.  It was not Snape that entered, however.  The white-blond girl with the name of Malfoy walked in, followed by a boy with lank black hair and ice chips for eyes.

"Oh, it's the new Potter and the usual entourage," the girl murmured.  "My name is Delilah Malfoy.  This is Lex Talionis.  Good to meet you, Potter."  She gave Kendra a sharp look as Talionis extended his hand to her.  Kendra did not reciprocate.  Talionis lowered his hand, his eyes as cold as they looked.

"Would you like to know why your parents were killed?" Malfoy said in slow, mocking voice.  "They mixed with the wrong kind of people.  Mudbloods, werewolves, vampires, giants, and the lowliest of magical creatures.  You might want to keep yourself clean from things like shapeshifters."  She gave Rima a sneer, her dark blue eyes gazing disparagingly at the large scar and the barely visible patch over her eye.  Rima nearly stood up, her lip twitching in a growing scowl.  Kendra turned in her chair, watching Malfoy and Talionis with a placid expression.

"I'm not sure what you mean by mudblood," Kendra murmured, "but I'm sure it's a bad thing.  Now, when you say werewolves and vampires and giants, do you happen to mean professors Seal, Ascarte, and Hagrid?  I'm hoping you don't mean them, because they just happen to be my friends and family.  And if you're trying to make me like you, maybe you shouldn't insult my best friend by calling her a thing."  Rima smiled at Kendra's words, but Talionis and Malfoy scowled.

"Just as bad as your parents, I see," Malfoy snapped.  Before any of them could make a move, the door opened and other students began to flood in.  A few minutes later, when the bell chimed, the door burst open again.  Professor Snape swept in, his black eyes passing over the class.

"Settle down," he murmured unnecessarily.  "You are here to learn the exquisite art of potion-making.  You will not be learning how to make loud noises and foul smoke, so some of you may not be very interested.  Now, for roll and to see which of you decided it was worth your hides to skip my class."  He made his way down the list and paused for a very long time at Kendra's name.  He looked up at her, malice in his eyes.

"What is the purpose of a bezoar, Potter?" Snape asked sharply.  "And where would I find it?"  Kendra blinked, but mentally searched through what she had read before term had started.

"It's a stone from a goat's stomach," she said softly, carefully as she checked and rechecked the facts in her mind.  "It saves you from certain poisons, if I recall correctly, sir."  Snape raised a brow at her, as if surprised at her knowledge and the lack of overconfidence in her voice.

"Correct," he murmured in return.  "And can you tell me the main ingredients for a powerful sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death?"  Kendra nodded slowly, thinking about what he had asked.

"Powdered root of asphodel…add it to an infusion of wormwood," she answered.  "I think that's what it is, sir."  Snape paused, but did not have any reason to demean the girl—on her knowledge in any case.

"Correct," he said again.  "I see that you decided to open a book before you came to my class—unlike your father.  It's a rare pleasure to see a Potter that knows what they're doing."  Kendra made no move in return to his words.  In fact, she didn't even try to dispute him.  She blinked at him calmly, unfazed by his sharp tongue.  So, the class continued on with little strife.

"I'm impressed," Rima chuckled when the three got to the Great Hall for lunch.  "I didn't think you'd stay calm when he insulted your father."  Kendra did not respond until she pulled a plate of sandwiches towards her.

"Why?" she questioned.  "I know that my parents were good people, but I never knew them.  I can't really get mad at Professor Snape for his opinion of my parents."  Rima let it drop as Kendra dove into the sandwiches, watching her friend with a faint smile.

----------

The Gryffindor first years scurried to the third floor when the bell toned.  They had heard—through siblings' stories or hurried whispers in the halls—that the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was the first person to teach the subject for more than one year in twenty years.  In fact, he had been teaching for a good ten years and running.  Some students joked that Professor Ascarte's personal curse overshadowed the "curse" that was on the position.

"As many of you already know," he said to begin the class, "I happen to be a vampire.  Before you ask, I'm going to be three hundred and twenty-three this coming April."  A few hands went down whilst laughter filled the classroom.  "What I'm going to try and teach you in your years here is that many people have misconceptions about what is called good or evil.  For instance, many people think that werewolves and vampires are evil creatures and should be destroyed.  However, because Professor Dumbledore has _not_ received word that Professor Seal or myself have bitten students, I have to disagree."

For homework, he told them to find three creatures or people that could honestly be called evil and dangerous at all times, name them, and describe why they were evil.  He sent them off to Transfiguration when the bell toned.  Eager to ask Seal about why Dante had mentioned her, the first years hurried into the classroom.  The room, however, was empty when they arrived.

"But we just passed a bunch of Ravenclaw students on our way in," Marshall Williams murmured ruefully.  Kendra looked around the room, a smile growing on her face.  After a moment, she walked to the front of the room and looked in front of the desks.  When she burst out laughing, the other Gryffindors quickly went up and looked down.  Seal was curled on the floor, fast asleep.  She sprang awake at the students' collective laughter.

The class itself was quite interesting.  For a show, Seal explained the complexity of Transfiguration and turned an empty chair into a Chihuahua.  A moment later, a large gray wolf was chasing the terrified yipping dog around the room.  After a time, Seal turned back to a human and changed the still running dog back to a chair.  It skidded with its momentum, but stopped shortly.  Many notes later, Seal set them with the most common and simple task in Transfiguration—a match into a needle.

Four people managed to light their matches amidst gales of laughter.  Just before the class ended, Seal walked about to check on their progress.  She flicked her wand at the burnt matches and scorch marks, clearing them as she went.  As she reached the table where Kendra and Rima sat, she paused.

"Still a tad thick for a needle, but all metal with a point," she said, picking up Kendra's match-needle.  "And a needle worthy of a robe shop.  Nicely done you two.  Five points to Gryffindor."  Kendra grinned at Rima, who returned it with an encouraging smile.

----------

"Nicely done?" Virgil questioned, his tone jealous.  "How did you two turn your matches into needles?  I set mine on fire!"  Kendra couldn't help it—she let out a sharp snort of laughter.  Virgil blushed in embarrassment as they made their way to the east tower.  The last class was a recently added one.  After Voldemort's return and Anton's rising, the Ministry of Magic realized that without some training, the magic students learned would be ineffective in the real world.  Thusly, the Dueling class was formed, for lack of a better name.  A man with short, dirty blond hair and peculiar red eyes greeted them.  There were no desks in the classroom.

"I'm Professor Arcanorum," he said in a stern voice.  "For today's lesson, I will teach you the most simple spell in a wizard's duel: the Disarming Spell.  Potter!  Come here."  Kendra paused, but walked to stand opposite the teacher.  "Potter will show us what happens when you're hit with this spell.  _Expelliarmus_!"  The result was quite surprising to Kendra.  She not only lost her wand, she was lifted off her feet and thrown a good six feet through the air.

By the time that Rima had gotten to her and pulled her to her feet, Arcanorum had directed the class to separate into pairs and practice the spell.  He did not bother to see if Kendra was uninjured.  Rima glared at his back as he walked around the room.

"I don't like him," she said quite plainly when they left the classroom and headed back towards the Great Hall for dinner.  "Why did he single you out like that?"  Kendra shrugged, still rubbing at the middle of her chest, wincing slightly.

"Remind me not to get on his bad side," she grumbled.  The three sat down, Kendra and Rima next to each other and Virgil opposite from them.

"I think you're permanently on his bad side," Virgil murmured in a shocked tone.  "Are you hurt?"  Kendra shook her head, but still winced and rubbed her chest.

"No, but I think I'm going to be really sore in the morning," she said, trying to chuckle a bit.  Virgil gave her a small smile, but Rima frowned, her gaze fixed up at the enchanted, starry ceiling.  She did not eat anything, merely staring up at the ceiling with a hard, contemplative look.  In fact, she only said a short parting for the night and vanished up into dormitory.  However, when Kendra followed after finishing Dante's assignment, Rima was not in her bed.

----------

On the next Monday morning, the students' spirits were lifted, especially Kendra's.  Not only did she not have Dueling that day, the common room's bulletin board made all the first years cheer.  Flying lesson would start that very day after lunch.  Rima, on the other hand, blanched, a tic developing near her remaining eye.  Her pallor and twitch continued through Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, all the way through lunch, and even as they made their way onto the sloping field.

"Why are you acting so weird?" Kendra questioned.

"I hate flying," Rima grumbled.  "I always have.  I'm not good at it unless I've turned into something that's able to fly—I hate broomsticks.  The last thing I want to do today is screw up in front of Malfoy and Talionis.  No one seemed to notice, but we're doing this with the Slytherins."  As she spoke, the Slytherin first years made their way to match pace with the Gryffindors.  Mutinous muttering rose up from both houses as they continued on.  Delilah Malfoy and Lex Talionis gave Kendra, Rima, and Virgil nasty smiles.  Professor Ron Weasley was waiting for them, standing amidst rows of brooms.

"Right!" he called.  "Slytherins on this side, Gryffindors on the other!  No horsing around, is that understood?"  The student grumbled their assent, fixing their rival housemates with glares.  "Good!  Now put your wand hand over your broom and say 'up'!"  He winked at Kendra, who smiled back.  Rima had turned her back on the brooms, steadfastly staring towards the castle.  As Ron walked up and down the row, correcting grips and giving advice, the sound of wood striking a skull rang out.  Garrett Ansolo had struck Alison Longbottom on the head with his broom.  Alison slumped over, much to the Slytherins' amusement.

"Thirty points from Slytherin and a week of detention!" Ron snapped, rushing over and wrenching the broom from the boy's hands.  "Come with me!"  He conjured a stretcher and lifted Alicia onto his, pulling the boy along by the wrist as he left.  As he went, he shouted, "Touch those brooms and you'll never see a Quidditch match!"  The Slytherins shrieked with laughter again.

"You have to wonder about that girl," Delilah Malfoy said with a smirk.  "With her wretch of a father, you think she'd have a bit harder of a head.  You never know—she might get a scar and we'll have a new blood traitor to worship, eh, Potter?"  Kendra made no response, not moving from watching a few owls fly over the Forbidden Forest.  Malfoy sneered and shared a glance with Talionis.

"Fine," she murmured.  "_Expelliarmus_!"  Kendra whirled, tensing in expectation of the spell.  However, it did not hit her.  Talionis and Malfoy had cried out in unison, but had aimed at Rima.  Rima turned only in time to see the red spells flying at her.  She was blasted off her feet and flew ten feet, landing hard and rolling over and over for three more feet.  Talionis ran full pelt at her, even though she was on her feet and drawing her wand by the time he reached her.

Talionis slammed his shoulder into Rima's chest, reaching up and grabbing the patch over her eye.  As Rima was knocked backwards, the patch snapped and came away in Talionis' hand.  Despite all of this, Rima lifted her wand and began to shout the Disarming spell, but Malfoy beat her to it.  Rima was thrown off her feet again, her wand flying from her hand.  She hit the ground again, but Kendra had finally caught up and knelt down to her friend.

"What do you need this for, shapeshifter?" Talionis questioned, sneering and swinging the patch from its broken strap.  "I thought shapeshifters could heal themselves without even trying.  Maybe you're not really a shapeshifter—just a fool who got on the wrong side of a spell.  Or maybe you got on someone's bad side—someone like You-Know-Who.  Pathetic, really."  Kendra bit back the urge to glare at Talionis.  Rima's hand was trembling.  She steeled herself and stood up, a smirk suddenly appearing on her face.

In a blur, she had flipped back onto her feet, grabbing her wand as she went.  Malfoy again shouted the Disarming spell, but Rima dodged easily and shouted her own spell.  As her patch flew up into the air, Malfoy and Kendra both ran towards it to catch it before the other.  A gray streak cut through the air and between the girls' hands.  It landed on the ground with almost no sound, turning about and looking up at the gathered students.  The wolf blinked once at them and turned into Seal.  She gave Malfoy and Talionis a hard look before tossing Rima her patch.

"Twenty points from Slytherin," she murmured in a cold voice.  "The next time you feel like harassing someone, don't.  Kendra, could you come with me?  The rest of you are dismissed."  Kendra paused for only a moment before walking away with the teacher.  Rima watched her go before looking at the patch in her hand.  She threw it away in disgust.

----------

"Am I in trouble?" Kendra inquired as they walked into the castle.  Seal shook her head with a faint smile.

"No," she chuckled.  "I wanted to tell you that Professor Dumbledore has decided to let you on the Gryffindor team, despite a few of his worries."

"Worries?" the girl asked.  "Professor Weasley said that Quidditch is dangerous, but no one ever really gets that hurt.  Why would Professor Dumbledore be worried?"  Seal frowned, her gold eyes glazing over.

"Things are very difficult now," she murmured.  "Professor Dumbledore is very, very old.  He doesn't have a lot of time in the world left.  He worries for the future of Hogwarts and the magic world because of Anton.  He especially worries about you."  Kendra nodded, remembering the first time she had met Dumbledore.  She had been wandering about, utterly lost in one of the lower dungeons.

Dumbledore had found her and led her back up to the entrance hall.  He spoke with her as they walked, reminiscing about his occasional losing himself in the massive, ever-changing castle.  They had parted in the entrance hall with traded smiles, a soft pat on the head for Kendra, and a reminder to be careful when searching the school.

"He remembers how much trouble your father got in with his Quidditch playing and he doesn't want you to get hurt," Seal continued.  "Granted though, we won't ever employ a dolt like Lockhart or a nutter like Umbridge.  Still, he wants you to be careful.  Oh, and Ron told me to remind you that you're supposed to head down to the Quidditch pitch after dinner tonight.  Something about meeting the team or something like that."  The bell toned, and Seal smiled brightly at her.

"Don't forget to go down there right after dinner," she said.  "Be careful around those Bludgers, eh?  I don't want to have to drag you up to the hospital ward."  Kendra nodded and Seal smiled again, patting the girl on the head.  "Good girl.  If I can stay awake, I'll come down and watch you."  Kendra nodded again with her own smile, and the two parted ways.

----------

"I thought you didn't like flying," Virgil said teasingly.  Rima gave him a hard glare and he stepped away from her, lifting his hands in submission.  Kendra stood on Rima's other side, her broom on her shoulder, and a growing smile on her face.  Erika and Lisa Weasley stood at the portrait hole, waiting for Kendra to follow them down to the Quidditch pitch.

"I don't," Rima snarled.  "That doesn't mean I'm not going to support Kendra when she flies.  Now shut up."  Virgil, however, had already fallen silent.  He was staying in the common room to finish his homework, but Rima was going to accompany Kendra to the pitch.  The two first years followed Erika and Lisa out to the pitch, and Rima remained at the edge of the pitch while Kendra went on ahead with Erika and Lisa.

"Kendra, this is the Gryffindor team," Lisa said with a smirk.  "First there's our captain, Kadin Ward.  Her and us two are the three Chasers.  Then it's Catherine Gray and Jason Tyron—those two—for our Beaters.  Finally, Ward chose our Keeper a few nights ago.  His name is Stephen Renard.  And then there's you, Kendra.  You're our Seeker.  Lucky enough, our dad said he taught you all about the game, so Ward doesn't have to waste her mental prowess explaining everything."

"Too right," the Beater, Catherine, chuckled.  "Kadin's the best strategist Hogwarts has seen in a long time, even if she's too modest to admit it.  The only reason we haven't been sweeping the Quidditch Cup every year since she joined is because we keep getting lousy Keepers and Seekers.  That's going to change, right?"  She glared sharply at Stephen and Kendra.  Stephen paled under her gaze, but nodded firmly along with Kendra.

Ward, a tall girl with rather haphazard and faded black hair, had not seemed to notice the team or their introductions.  She had kept her brown eyes in the sky, her hands vaguely tracing patterns, lines, and movements as her eyes darted about.  Noticing her trance, Catherine slapped her shoulder and the girl jumped.

"Sorry, what?" she questioned.  "I was—"

"Planning, we know," Jason said, rolling his eyes.  "You missed our new teammate's intro.  Ward, Kendra.  Kendra, Ward."  Ward walked over and leaned over, scrutinizing Kendra with her sharp eyes.  She walked around the much smaller girl, taking in every detail that her eyes could spot.

"You've done some kind of sport before coming here," the fourth-year Chaser murmured.  "Something that obviously gave you enough reflexes for Professor Weasley to beg Professor Dumbledore for you to play.  You're a bloody pixie, though.  We haven't had such a small Seeker for years.  You've got a good broom though—most people are getting Nimbus 2000s and 2001s.  OK, let's see how you fair with the Snitch."  She turned and walked to the chest where the Quidditch balls were kept.

Kendra watched as a small gold blur shot from the chest.  Automatically, she dropped the broom from her shoulder and kicked off from the ground.  Despite the utterly confused shouts and looks she got as she laid chase to the Snitch, Kendra followed close behind the gold ball and snatched it within twenty seconds.  Catherine let out a low, appreciative whistle while Lisa and Erika grabbed each other's hands and began to dance in a mad, cackling circle.

"Not bad for a first year, but not as great as you could be," Ward said faintly.  "You've got ruddy potential."  Catherine shot the captain a sly smirk.

"Did I hear you right, Kadin?" she questioned.  "Did you just give someone a compliment?  A first year, first-time-on-a-broom little pixie of a girl got a compliment from you?"  Ward shrugged as she started to look up at the air again.  Her eyes began to dart about, her lips moving with soundless words.

"Oh lord," Jason grumbled.  "She's stuck on planning again.  Listen, we should probably come back tomorrow when she's done with her ideas.  I think we finally found a good Seeker, ladies and gentlemen."  The team dispersed for the evening, patting Kendra on the shoulder as they left the pitch.  Lisa lingered for a moment when Kendra made no move to follow them and head back to the castle.

"Aren't you coming?" she questioned.  Kendra shook her head with a smile.

"I'm going to just fly for a while," she said.  "I'll be in before curfew, don't worry."  Lisa nodded and turned about, jogging to catch up with her sister.  Kendra looked up towards the sky and dropped her broom to the ground again.  She rose up and began to fly around the pitch at top speed, flying as fast as she could until her eyes began to burn from the wind.

Kendra took ridiculous risks as she flew, her speed unreasonable as she turned sharply.  Her feet even slipped a bit on the broom with her actions.  After many minutes, she flew down and landed, falling to her knees as she stepped from her broom.  Rather, she would have fallen to her knees if Rima had not been standing near her when she landed.  She fell onto Rima, sobbing with abandon.

"I can't do this!" Kendra said in her tears.  "I can't do any of this!  I can't be a witch!  I can't play Quidditch!  Nothing's right anymore!  Nothing's right at all!"  Rima remained quiet for a time, her arms gently wrapped around Kendra.  Kendra clung to her until her knuckles turned white, her eyes crying until she could cry no more tears, and her pained sobs tearing from her throat until she could no longer scream.

"You miss the people you lived with, don't you?" she murmured.  "Something happened to them."

"They're dead," Kendra managed to rasp out.  "They're dead because of me.  If they hadn't taken me in, they wouldn't have been killed.  I miss them so much."  Rima nodded slightly and patted the other girl on the back.

"I know that saying 'it's all right' wouldn't make it better," the blue-haired girl said quietly.  "That was one of the first things my teacher taught me after my parents were killed—like the people who you lived with.  He told me that trying to mask the pain makes it worse until you go mad.  You deal with it, or you lose it."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Kendra choked out with a chuckle.  Rima gave her own chuckle and hugged Kendra close.

"I know it doesn't," she muttered.  "And I know it barely helps at all in the long run.  Still, we should get back to the dormitory before Filch decides to start prowling for people out late."  Kendra nodded, wiping her tears on her sleeve.  The two returned to Gryffindor Tower and went to bed when they arrived.  Though she still hurt terribly, Kendra had her first untroubled sleep since she learned of the Dursleys' deaths.

_—to be continued—_


End file.
